Cucumber conflicts

[Nirn]

Hi,

I was hoping one of you sages could help me out with a question about cucumbers. I have been growing Masterpiece outside here in Hampshire for the last two years and have been very pleased with it. Wanting to get a bit more out of the garden this year I had been planning to grow Cucino F1 in addition to Masterpiece. But now I am not so sure.

According to page 27 of the March edition of Kitchen Garden: "Whichever type of cucumber you decide to grow, never mix all-female types with standard or ridge in the same patch. They may cross-pollinate to produce bitter, inedible fruits."

I had planned on growing the two about 4 metres apart. Is this far enough to avoid the problem or am I going to get into trouble?

I have a north-facing conservatory. Could that be used to house e.g. the Cucino F1? It isn't the end of the world if I have to just stick with Masterpiece, but it could be fun to grow both. In fact, it would solve my problem of where to fit in the Brandywine tomatoes. :)

Cucino F1: http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/355/1
Masterpiece: http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/520/1


Thanks!

[Nirn]

[greatpalm]

I wouldn't grow them outside together as 4 metres is a pretty short distance by insect terms.

Outdoor Cucumbers need fertilizing to develop, however greenhouse ones must not as the resulting fruit will be bitter.

You could grow the all female one in the conservatory if you have the room, though the atmosphere might be a little dry.

[Marymary]

Oh dear, something else I knew nothing about - another hefalump trap!

Last year I grew TGB & another from Real Seeds [Waltamar or somesuch] side by side in the greenhouse & they were fine, this year i was planning on several different varieties but hadn't realised this could be aproblem - best go & read my seed packets. 

Thanks for the warning GP.

[tim]

Is Cucino all-female? Don't know.

I would have thought that your indoors spot would be great - ours are in the very shaded end of a shaded 'cold house.

[Tee Gee]

I just use bog standard varieties and remove the male flowers.

So I suppose if you have the time to do this then you have an option.

ps I don't eat cucumber so I don't know if they are bitter or not, but over the years my family who eat lots of them have never complained.

[Nirn]

Thanks all! Sounds like it would be best if I used my conservatory for the Cucino F1.

Is Cucino all-female? Don't know.

I am quite new to vegetable gardening, so I had the naive belief that F1 cucumbers were the all-female kind. The seed packet doesn't say though.

[tim]

Found it on this search - clearly NOT all-female & clearly better off indoors.

http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/355/1

But sounds fun for the little ones.

[Nirn]

Found it on this search - clearly NOT all-female & clearly better off indoors.

Thanks Tim! Apologies for the stupid question, but what in that description tells you that it is not all-female?

[greatpalm]

The price indicates that this is an all female variety.

[tim]

I bow to superior knowledge - I always believed that an all-female variety would be described as such. An important thing to know?

[tim]

And so it is - in their Catalogue!! Very lax of them not to put it on their site. And of me for not double checking.

Apologies, Nirn. Apart from price, all-female varieties always have a separate block in catalogues.